DrPete 

So I'm headed up to BikeJam/Kelly Cup right now, and something just seems strange. Not even in a bad way, but something feels different about my routine. Somehow things just seem more peaceful/relaxed than before most of my races.

Hopefully it means I'm due for my win.

Lithuania

Ive definitely had weird feelings before a race but not in a positive way. When its happened to me something has felt weird in a way that makes me feel like I wasnt meant to race today.

Good luck!

substructure

Honestly, not to scare you. So please take it with a grain of salt.
My last race, I felt wierd, even during the race. And someone took me out. He looked over his shoulder at me, swerved his bike and knocked me off the pavement. I went down.

cacatfish

Whe it happens to me, it usually means I forgot something.
Better check and make sure you have your helmet, and shoes (both left and right).

aicabsolut

+1 on what riskus said. Usually, when I feel weird, especially too calm and relaxed, I just can't get moving. I need the adrenaline jitters and mental focus before a race to do well. Sometimes, I can just feed it into me with more food. More often, it's just an off day. I say, "go!" and my body says "whaaaa?" Hopefully it'll mean better things for you.

DrPete 

Well, right-o to riskus and aicabsolut. In my case, it meant I was about to get my a$$ pwnt. Never really felt like I was firing on all cylinders, got dropped with 8 to go, pulled with 7 to go. Not even worth a race report.

It meant I should've just stayed home, and that my TSB in cyclingpeaks don't mean *****.

grebletie

What was your TSB? You're right in any case, low or positive TSB isn't necessarily a guarantee of peak performance.

ElJamoquio

What is TSB again? I feel like Cypress.

grebletie

Difference between chronic training load (the last 42 days worth of exercise), and acute training load (the last 7 days of exercise). Theory is that if what you have been doing acutely is less than what you have been doing historically, you ought to be less fatigued.

Pretty simple concept put into hifalutin' math terms.

zimbo

The two recent races where I've had the best results have both come at times when I didn't feel all that great and decided to just sit in rather than be active.

And then there have been a couple of races where I really thought my form was great and I got dropped like a rock. These races were particularly humbling/humiliating.

So I guess my conclusion is that you never can tell.

--Steve

Enthalpic

You didn't read my thread on the limitations of the performance manager?

Lithuania

Pete I am so sorry to hear this. Obviously I know exactly how you feel.

grebletie

You have a link to it? Though I've become pretty well versed in its strengths and limitations from reading the wattage group, more reading is always useful.

The major thing that I picked up, is that it is best used to reflectively look back and see what you did when you felt good. As a predictor of performance, it leaves much to be desired.

Now how about that wattage sub forum.

Anyways, we all have bad races. Just don't let it get you too down.

Lithuania

For me at least so much of racing is mental. I can feel great but if im not mentally focused I dont do well. I think thats why I seem to do better when I dont feel good. When I feel bad I tend to concentrate on racing tactics where as when I feel good I get lazy because I think Im good and strong and will just do well on brute strength alone.

Enthalpic

https://www.bikeforums.net/33-road-bike-racing/289060-modeling-training-impulse-limitations-performance-manager.html

NoRacer

Well, at least you got to race, Pete.

When one of the other CAT 5s on my team went to check about the CAT 5 waiting list, the race organizers told him that even if the field wasn't full, they weren't taking anyone from the waiting list and putting them into the race.

Lithuania

wow that sucks. im glad i didnt bother making the drive up there only to be turned down.

NoRacer

Well, if you did, you could've hung out at the Team BBC tent and drank beer all day!

Lithuania

but i dont drink so i couldnt even have done that.

NoRacer

Damn, man! You need more vices!

grebletie

Virtue, not vice.

timmyquest

I was either going to say that you have found "the zone" or you weren't focused enough.

My best football games came when i was neither too amped nor too lackadaisical. In psychology, this is backed by tests...performance (in anything) graphed with "arousal" tends to look like a bell curve. The trick is to find that happy medium.

DrPete 

Oh no, I say it, and this was definitely a "dumb" taper. Not much of a CTL to begin with, and I just plain wasn't riding enough... but hey--stay off the bike for several days and your TSB will still go up...

Meh, lesson learned. My bike's not trashed, I'm not hurt (except the pride) and there's always next weekend...

MDcatV

Sorry to hear it didnt go well for you DrP. It was really hot today, that didnt seem to help anyone. BikeJam has to be the worst course on the NRC.

My team? I sucked; we didnt execute anything near our plan; one of our guys crashed so hard his forearms are hamburger and his bike is partially broken (fork sheared off, hope it didn't muck his frame but it has yet to be determined); our lead out crew never found each other; I was in position at the end for sprinting but was too spent and didnt even get out of the saddle. Pack finish. At least there are lots of races in June.

DrPete 

^^^Wow, sorry to hear that. I guess an engine failure isn't so bad to deal with.

A lot of things came together to just hose me today. Bad training, no ride on Friday, lack of focus, iffy nutrition, and once again lining up at the back of the race and not having the legs to work my way up. I think the heat did play a part too, though--I've been starting my rides at 5-6 in the evening, and it's been quite mild at that time as you know. I wish now that I had actually made a conscious effort to ride more in the heat.

Yeah, there are lots of races in June, and hopefully I can rescue some kind of form. It's back to more tempo and LT for me... I think I peaked way early (like, April) and haven't really been changing my training accordingly.

As for the course, taking the hard left in the 4's pack was one of the most frustrating things I've ever done on a bike. The rest of it was kinda fun, albeit rough.